School Supplies -- The Backpack

When I was young, buying supplies for school meant buying a small package of paper, a few pencils, a pencil box, and an eraser. Most of the supplies were left at school. Books, too, were left at school, at least in elementary school. All we had to carry home were a few mimeographed worksheets. Today, though, kids carry supplies and books to school and back every day. No way can children carry what they need without a bookbag and those bookbags can get quite heavy. By the time kids are in high school, their bookbags can weigh fifty pounds! Of course, some of our gifted kids aren't satisfied carrying school books back and forth; they also have to bring the latest books they're reading for fun. Before you buy your child's bookbag this year, take a look at what Chris Adams, guide to ergonomics, has to say about choosing bookbags.

• Before You Before You Buy a Child's Backpack
• What is the Best Book Bag for Your Child?
• Backpack Misuse and the Pain it Inflicts on our Children